Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Stop What UR Doing And Make This Call!!

Your voice is urgently needed NOW, Today!

The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on eliminating walking and biking funds today, September 16.

Yesterday, Senators John McCain (what an asshole)(Ariz.) and Tom Coburn (Okla.) issued two amendments to the FY10 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. If passed, these amendments would eliminate the majority of available federal funds for trails, walking and bicycling.

Amendment 2370 would prohibit the use of federal funds for pedestrian or bicycle facilities, efforts to reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife, or other specified Transportation Enhancement (TE) projects if the Highway Trust Fund cannot cover unfunded highway authorizations.

Amendment 2371 would allow states to eliminate spending on TE, the nation's largest funding source for trails, walking and bicycling. Congress currently sets aside a portion of federal funds for TE to support these projects in all states.

Providing opportunities for Americans to walk, bike and take transit to get where they're going improves our communities' health and livability, reduces emissions, creates jobs and save money. These facilities make bicycling safer...we need them in Alabama!

Please call your senator NOW and ask him or her to vote AGAINST amendments 2370 and 2371 and that AL needs to build Safer AND MORE Bicycle facilities.